This silent color home movie from 1955 captures a leisurely voyage aboard the SS Lurline, a luxury liner operated by the Matson Navigation Company, sailing from San Francisco to Honolulu. The film showcases various moments of the trip, from passengers sunbathing on the ship to the ship’s approach to Honolulu Harbor. Traditional Hawaiian customs are highlighted through performances of hula dances and fishing demonstrations, offering a glimpse into Hawaii’s postwar tourism boom before the dominance of air travel.

The SS Lurline was most prominent from the 1930s through the 1960s, especially for its Hawaii route before air travel dominated. This ship played a major role in tourism between the U.S. mainland and Hawaii. The era depicted in the film represents the height of the Lurline’s operations before it was eventually retired in 1963.

Film opens; SS Lurline (c.1932) at port, man in two-piece suit looks at camera (0:08). Passengers walk along gangway to board ship (0:32). Two men pose together for camera along gangway; Wide shot of gangway revealing it says “Matson to Hawaii” on side panel (0:38). Sign saying “SS Lurline sails for Honolulu” (1:00). Tug boat peaks out from behind dock (1:05). Camera pans San Francisco/ Oakland skyline of industrial warehouses, San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (1:11). Passengers lean over side of ship, wave and cheer to family members sending them off on port, confetti and streamers fill the air (1:35). Tug boat guides ship into open waters (2:21). View of calm blue waters of Pacific Ocean from porthole (2:28). Passengers sunbathe on upper deck of ship, woman pushes baby in stroller (3:07). Men poses on upper deck of ship next to sign for Matson Navigation Company with distinctive “M” logo (3:35). View of sun setting along the horizon in the distance (4:07). Mountain formations appear behind fog along horizon (4:22). Smaller white escort vessel, helicopter, tug boats appear alongside ship; Passengers prepare for arrive and huddle on upper deck for views of Honolulu Harbor (4:27). Aloha Tower (4:48). Onlookers crowd Honolulu Harbor ready to welcome passengers (4:52). Same two men from earlier in film pose together wearing traditional Hawaiian leis (5:04). Sign for Pua-Lei Lani Hotel & Cottages in Waikiki, Honolulu (b.1949) (5:29). Couple poses in front of cottage, palm trees sway in wind (5:35). White-sand shoreline, blue waters of Waikiki Beach (6:04). View of Royal Hawaiian Hotel in distance along beachfront (6:19). Surfboards lined up at surf shack ready for rental (6:27). Women and children do traditional Hula dance performance to live music accompaniment (6:38). Local man seems to demonstrate technique for casting out fishing nets, continues performance by using Hawaiian adzes (also known as ko’i, stone tools) while hula dancers and musicians dance and sing around him (8:45). Hula dance performance resumes (9:21). Kodak film booth (10:10). Hotel guests and locals help pull in fishing nets from sea, inspect catch (10:17). Local man proudly holds up large tuna fish for all to see (10:58). Grass-thatched roof hut (11:18). Two local young kids stare directly into camera (11:44). Another performance of traditional customs and dances commences (11:58). View of Diamond Head (13:49). Facade of Royal Hawaiian Hotel, view from beachfront directly in front of hotel (13:50). View of Moana Hotel from beach (14:02). Catamaran sales close to shore, Diamond Head seen in distance (14:08). Man smiles at camera while sitting in sand (14:19). Group in outrigger canoe approaches beach (14:28). Local man proudly holds up turtle for all on beach to see (14:36). Two turtles rest in shade (14:48). Another Hula performance (14:55). Film ends (16:18).

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com